Sooke

Some of the most delightful bed and breakfast inns anywhere are located in the harbor side village of Sooke, a 45-minute drive west on Hwy 14 from downtown Victoria. Truly, some of these inns are destination spots in themselves; and anyway, a trip to Sooke is about rest and nature, not about all there is to do. Stop at the Visitor Information Centre at 2070 Phillips Road right off Hwy 14. Pick up maps and activity ideas (whale watching, kayaking, fresh- and salt-water fishing, hiking, gallery hopping). (Open from 9 am to 6 pm, daily in summer; and from 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday at all other times of year; 250-642-6351.) For as long as anyone knows, the Coast Salish people (in particular the T’Sou-ke Nation) lived in this area, reef-netting salmon around Becher Bay and collecting shellfish, berries, and roots for winter months spent at Pedder Bay. In 1790, the rhythm of Indian life was interrupted with the arrival of Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper; then within five years, all lands north of the Strait of Juan de Fuca became British. By the 1880s, with the Hudson’s Bay Company in full swing in British Columbia, East Sooke became a busy place: sailing ships and dugout canoes ran supplies to and from “Fort Victoria” and a water-powered sawmill provided lumber for the community. Loggers and fishermen sought their livelihoods here. Miners of copper and iron were plentiful. Today, the site where many of these loggers, fishermen, and miners lived and worked is now the beautiful East Sooke Regional Park, offering great hiking trails along windswept rocky coastline, over rugged hilltops with panoramic views of the Olympic Peninsula, through old-growth rain forests, and into sheltered coves. The East Sooke Coast Trail (trailhead at Pike Road) is considered one of the best day hikes in all of Canada, a rough and strenuous, but extremely rewarding, six-hour adventure for experienced hikers. If you’re looking for a hike that’s not quite so ambitious, there are plenty to choose from—at Aylard Farm off Becher Road at the southeast corner of the park, at Anderson Cove off East Sooke Road on the north end of the park, or from Pike Road just off East Sooke Road at the southwest corner. Information posted at trailheads will help you choose a hike suited to your goal for the day. Sooke Village, where most of the region’s roughly 11,600 residents live, is considered the gateway to miles of unspoiled beaches, meandering rainforest trails, and gorgeous views of Sooke Harbour, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympics. Whiffen Spit Park, at the end of Whiffen Spit Road in the Sooke Village area, is a natural breakwater between the Juan de Fuca Strait and Sooke Harbour. A relaxing 20-minute walk to the end of the spit is a favorite among residents and visitors alike. Bird watching from the spit is especially rewarding. You’ll hear a lot in Victoria and in Sooke about the Galloping Goose Trail, an easy, well-paved, 35-mile (one-way) trail from the west end of the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria to Leechtown on the Sooke River. Hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders will discover farmland, forests, seascapes, lakes, rivers, and canyons as they follow the course of the trail. But don’t feel as if you have to take on the entire route to appreciate it. In the Sooke area, access points with parking lots can be found at Roche Cove on Gillespie Road, and about 1 mile up on Sooke River Road. (The trail runs right in back of Cooper’s Cove Guesthouse.) If you are fortunate that your trip happens in the late fall (late October to early December), I would encourage you to follow the path of the Sooke River to witness the Salmon Run. The river runs thick with the struggling fish, determined to complete their journey. Incredibly, the Chinook (or King), Coho (or Silver), Chum (or Silver Brite), Sockeye (or Red) and Pink salmon all return, to the exact place where they spawned, to die; and, although all in the same general area, the locations are very specific. Each species is distinctive in its coloring, so visually it is easy to determine the different birthing areas. There is no dramatic staging in terms of where to go . . . just follow the river and you will notice a few key places where you can pull off, park, and there will be State Park billboards explaining the migration. The wonder of nature continues when you witness soaring bald eagles and splashing, killer whales in the bay waters—both taking advantage of easy prey. If you are brave enough to stay into the early evening, you might find yourself in the company of bears who wander down to the river’s edge for a bite to eat. A memorable experience.